Vehicle cleaning device

ABSTRACT

This rotary mopping device to remove residual dirt and scum from top and upper side surfaces of an automobile in a machine-wash establishment comprises a multiarm rotor, with each arm supporting an array of mop-like strips hung at a succession of points along the length of the arm and graduated in length as a function of radial position along the arm. With the outermost strips being the longest and being so located in terms of radial distance from the upright rotation axis of the rotor as to lie beyond the sides of the widest automobile to be washed. Preferably in each array there are two strips of different length at each of the successive mounting points along the length of the arm, with the leading strips being the shorter of the two.

United States Patent Fromme 1 VEHICLE CLEANING DEVICE [72] Inventor:Richard H. Fromme, 71467 Estellita Drive, Rancho Mirage, Calif. 92270[22] Filed: Jan. 13, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 2,459

[52] US. Cl ..15/97, l5/D1G. 2 [51] Int. Cl. ..B60s 3/06 [58] Field ofSearch ..15/10l,97, 102, 4, DIG. l,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,831,684 11/1931 Petersen.,.15/l01 3,118,161 1/1964 Cramton ..l5/179 3,510,898 5/1970 Tatara eta1 ..15/D1G. 2 1,636,082 7/1927 Stevens ..15/97 3,263,341 8/1966 Allen15/97 X 3,499,180 3/1970 Harwitz ..15/97 3,517,405 6/1970 Hanna et al...15/97 [451 Aug. 15, 1972 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Consumer Reports, June1968, Vol. 33, N0. 6, p. 305.

Primary Examiner-Le0n G; Machlin Attorney-Christensen, Sanbom andMatthews 1 1 ABSTRACT This rotary mopping device to remove residual dirtand scum from top and upper side surfaces of an automobile in amachine-wash establishment comprises a multiarm rotor, with each armsupporting an array of mop-like strips hung at a succession of pointsalong the length of the arm and graduated in length as a function ofradial position along the am. With the outermost strips being thelongest and being so located in terms of radial distance from theupright rotation axis of the rotor as to lie beyond the sides of thewidest automobile to be washed. Preferably in each array there are twostrips of different length at each of the successive mounting pointsalong the length of the arm, with the leading strips being the shorterof the two.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMIB 1 I9 2 3 683.441

N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEVS DESCRIPTION This invention relates to improvements inautomatic or machine automobile washing systems and more particularlyconcerns an improved mechanical wiping or mopping device for removingfilms and particles of dirt not readily disposed of by water jets anddetergent on the top and upper side surfaces of the vehicle body.

The invention is herein illustratively described byreference to thepresently preferred embodiments thereof; however, it will be evidentthat certain modifications and changes therein with respect to detailsmay be made without departing from the essential features involved.

A broad object of the invention is to provide a safer, less expensive,less troublesome, and more effective mechanical means to wipe and cleanthe top and upper side surfaces of an automobile than the usual orconventional upper rotary brush device which turns at relatively highspeed on a horizontal axis extending transversely of the line of traveland which has to be moved up and down as vehicles are moved beneath it.

A further object hereof is to provide such a means which willeffectively reach substantially all mechanically cleanable side and topsurfaces of an automobile without damaging windshield wipers, radioantennae and other attachments.

A still further object hereof is to provide a long-wearing wiping ormopping device which will not damage paints and lacquers or chromestrips and which will not catch on or be torn by corners, crevices andirregular surfaces of the automobile.

Another object is to provide a single rotary means which willmechanically mop or wipe both top and adjoining lateral (as well asfront and rear) upper side surface areas of a vehicle, which typicallyrequires three conventional rotary brushes, one for each side and onefor the top.

A specific object hereof is to provide a mechanical rotary mopping orwiping device for use in carwash establishments which avoids theproblems and expense of the usual mechanisms required for raising andlowering an upper rotary brush assembly so as to accommodate thediffering heights of vehicles and to follow the vertical contour of avehicle as it moves past the device. With the present invention therotary support assembly for the mop-like strips can remain at fixedheight above the floor or underlying conveyance supporting the cars and,due to the special action and capability of the suspended strips, thedifferent top and upper side surface areas of each vehicle are wipedeffectively independent of their height above the floor, and withoutnecessity of making height adjustments for vehicles of different maximumor minimum height. Therefore, not only is the rotary, mopdike assemblyitself relatively inexpensive to construct, but the associated apparatusrequired for its support and operation is much simpler and lessexpensive than conventional associated or supportive apparatus.

Another specific object of the invention is to devise a rotary mop-likeconfiguration of strips and supporting means therefor operable inaccordance with the foregoing objectives and incorporating specialdesign features which eliminate or minimize any tendency forentanglement of the mop-like strips with each other or piling up of thestrips in such a manner as to nullify their effectiveness. With thespecial design features 4 herein disclosed, the mop-like strips, whileacting cooperatively do not interfere with each other nor require anyspecial attention from a human operator or machine to remain effective.

Described in brief terms, the invention comprises one' or more overheadrotary wiping or mopping devices each of which turns continuously on anupright axis approximately centered in relation to the line of travel ofthe vehicle through a car washing establishment. If more than one suchdevice is employed in a given establishment, it is preferred that therotary devices turn in relatively opposite directions so as to furtherenhance the effectiveness thereof by wiping the various surfaces reachedin different directions. Each such device as disclosed comprises aplurality of angularly spaced arms or equivalent support means from eachof which are suspended a plurality of mop-like strips preferably arrayedin pairs along the arms length. Matted or woven polypropylene carpetingmaterial such as is conventionally used in so-called indoor-outdoorcarpeting and the like is preferred as the strip material. Preferablythe outermost strips or pairs of strip material. Preferably theoutermost strips or pairs of strips on the arms are the longest with thesucceeding strips located inwardly along the arms being graduateddownward in length. Also the circumferentially leading strip of eachpair is preferably shortem than the strip which lags. As a result ofthus graduating the strip lengths, both circumferentially and radiallyof the arms, the strips are effective to reach the side surfaces as wellas the top surfaces and to wipe those surfaces without tangling,interfering with each other, or piling up. Moreover, by having theoutermost strips of each array at a radial distance from the axis ofrotation exceeding half the width of the widest automobile, each area ofthe upper side surfaces of the vehicle are reached and wiped in onedirection as strips drop ofl' the top surfaces by gravity during theirlaterally outward motion and are wiped at another point of time and in adifferent direction (i.e. by upward and inward sliding motion) on thelaterally inward movement of strips as the arrays continue to rotateaccompanying forward progress of the vehicle.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention willbecome more fully evident from the following description with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a rotary mop assembly according to thisinvention, the device being shown in operative position relative to anautomobile.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view showing the rotary mop assembly and atypical support structure therefor as it is being approached by anautomobile viewed head-on.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the rotary mop assembly with portions of thesupport structure broken away for convenience in illustration.

'FIG. 4 is a plan view at reduced scale showing two rotary mopassemblies located in successive positions along the path of travel ofautomobiles through an automobile wash establishment, illustrating therelatively opposite directions of rotation of the two mop devices inthat case.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the illustrated rotary mop assemblycomprises an upright spindle or shaft rotatively mounted on a verticalaxis by supports 12 which are carried by a horizontal overhead beam 14.Supported by end posts 16 the beam 14 provides a transverse overarchingstructure which overlies the path of movement of automobiles beingcarried through the vehicle washing establishment. The means ofconveyance and various necessary items of equipment such as water jets,wheel brushes, etc. are omitted from the drawings.

In FIG. 1 the arrow A depicts the path of motion of an automobilebeneath the support beam 14. The rotor spindle 10 carries radial arms20, four in this case, of equal length and distributed at equal anglesto each other about the rotary axis of the spindle. The spindle isdriven by any suitable means such as the geared electric motor unit 22drivingly connected to the spindle through the belt and pulley drive 24as shown. Rotation of the spider formed by the arms 20 is slow bycomparison with the usual transverse top brush assembly which typicallyhas limp strands that are radially projected by centrifugal force at therequired speed of rotation. In this case rotary mop speed is kept justbelow that which would develop a centrifugal force in the suspendedstrips sufficient to cause them to swing appreciably outwardly in thevertical planes of their respective supporting arms.

Each arm 20 has a plurality of pairs of strips suspended therefrom in anarray extending over the outer portion (approximately half) of itslength. Thus, at or near the outer end of each arm is a pair of stripscomprising a circumferentially leading strip 26d1 and an associatedlagging strip 26gl which is somewhat longer in length (by approximatelyfour inches in a typical case) than the strip 26dl. Immediately adjacentto the outer strips 26d1 and 26g1 is a succeeding pair of stripscomprising a leading strip 26d2 and lagging strip 26g2. Typically, thestrips 26d2 and 26g2 are respectively shorter by approximately 6 inchesthan the strips 26d1 and 26gl. Similar pairs of strips 26(13, 26 g3, and26d4, and 26g4 are suspended from each arm at successive locationsinwardly along the length of such arm and in turn are shorter by severalinches than each corresponding strips of the associated pair immediatelypreceding the same in location along the arm. The graduation of striplengths appears clearest in FIG. 2.

As previously stated, the strips preferably comprise polypropylenecarpeting material. However, other flexible textured materials whichwill mop and wipe without scratching a painted surface can be used. Eachpair of strips is conveniently formed by draping a length of suchpolypropylene material over the arm at an intermediate point along thelength of the strip and adjusting the relative lengths of the portionsthereby suspended to a difference of about four inches so as to providea leading strip which is slightly shorter than the lagging strip of eachpair. The strips are then riveted or otherwise suitably secured inposition on the respective arms in succession of positions along thearms, the pairs graduating downward in length inwardly of theirsupporting arms. Approximately the inner half of the length of each armis free; that is, is not required to support the suspended mop-likestrips in order to achieve the described functions, and in fact it ispreferred to maintain a clear central area so as to avoid or minimizeany tendency for the strips to tangle or pile up beneath the centralportion of the rotor. It is found that the graduated lengths of thestrips facilitates the outermost strips to dropping freely off the car'supper surfaces and sweeping down over the adjoining side surfaces asthey do so without interference from strips located further inward onthe arms. It is found that making the lead strip of each pair shorterthan its mate also facilitates maintaining interference-free action ofthe strips. After the strips drop off the top surface they hangrelatively straight and then trail and drag upward along and over theoncoming side and top surfaces during the transverse inward movement ofthe strips over the vehicle as shown in the left-hand portion of FIG. 1.

It will be evident that the different side surface areas and adjoiningtop surface areas of the automobile are mopped first by an upward thentransverse-inward stroking motion and thereafter by a downward andtransverse-outward stroking motion (i.e. in a relatively oppositedirection). The long and water-sogged strips thus drawn over allsurfaces in different directions are very efiective to remove any filmsor particles of dirt on the surfaces. This multidirectional moppingaction is enhanced so as to provide even more effective wiping orcleaning when two such rotary assemblies are provided in the car washestablishment and one assembly is driven oppositely from the otherassembly, as depicted in FIG. 4. With this arrangement it is found thatthe combined effect of the two assemblies is something greater than thesum of the anticipated effects of each assembly acting individually.

While the drawing does not illustrate auxiliary apparatus used in atypical car wash establishment, it will be understood, of course, thatwater jets and preferably detergent ejection apparatus associatedtherewith will ordinarily be used first in order to thoroughly rinse andremove the readily detached dirt particles and scummy materials on thesurfaces. Any residues will also be loosened and softened in the sameprocess, that is prior to the point at which the disclosed rotary mopassembly comes into action. Beyond the point when the rotary mopassembly has operated, the vehicle may again encounter water jets and/orother cleaning devices. At the location of the rotary mop assembly it ispossible to provide water jets but it is usually not necessary, and ifthey are used it is desirable that the forces involved and the amount ofwater caused to flow over the surfaces of the vehicle not be so great asto float the mop-like strips out of physical wiping or mopping contactwith the surfaces which they should reach.

As shown in FIG. 2 the height H of the rotary spider assembly whichsupports the mop-like strips, preferably exceeds that of the highestvehicle to pass beneath the device and the hanging lengths of the pairsof strips is then sufiicient that even the lowest surfaces of the lowestor smallest vehicle to be scrubbed will be reached, whereas the highestsurfaces of the highest vehicles will also be effectively wiped andcleaned by the device. In other words, the height H in a giveninstallation may be fixed and it is therefore not necessary to providethe usual complicated and expensive mechanism for raising and lowering amechanical wiping or brushing assembly as in conventional installatrons.

Also, inasmuch as the widest vehicle typically moved through anautomobile washing establishment is less than eight feet in width(usually because of highway department standards), it is sufficient thatthe diameter of the rotary spider be of the order of nine to ten feet.This diametric dimension is preferably established at the minimum valuewhich is sufficient to enable one or two of the outermost pairs ofmop-like strips to act upon the lateral side surfaces of the vehiclebeing cleaned.

It will be recognized, of course, that the number of arms in the rotaryspider (four in the example) may vary and that the number of stripssuspended from the individual arms, and the widths and lengths of thesestrips may also vary within the broad concepts of the invention. Thekinds of material that may be used in the strips are also open to choiceor design, keeping in view the desired properties of durability,nonabrasiveness to vehicle finishes, nonfrayability, and effectivemopping characteristics.

What is claimed is:

1. Automobile washing apparatus for use in a machine wash establishmentthrough which automobiles are moved along a defined path, said apparatuscomprising a rotor assembly, means to advance an automobileprogressively lengthwise along said path to, beneath and beyond saidrotor assembly, means mounting said rotor assembly'to turn on a verticalaxis in an elevated position above and approximately centered laterallyin relation to said path, said rotor assembly comprising a plurality ofmop strips of lirnply flexible organic material relatively thin and widein cross-section freely suspended into the path of an automobile fromsaid rotor assembly from different locations thereon above theautomobile and varying in their radial distances from said axis, theradially outermost strips hanging lower than the radially innermoststrips, the rotation paths of the suspension locations of the rediallyinnermost strips lying laterally at all times within the space betweenand above the sides of the automobile and the rotatingpaths of thesuspension locations of at least the radially outermost strips ranginglaterally beyond the opposite sides of the automobile, said outermoststrips adapted to slide freely down and off the sides of the automobileand to be drawn back against the same so as to slide up and over theautomobile in the course of their rotation, and means operable to turnsaid rotor assembly unidirectionally about said axis as an automobile isbeing progressively advanced to, beneath and beyond the same along saidpath, the tuming speed being maintained below speeds at whichcentrifugal force tends to swing the strips radially outward materiallyin their rotation.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the strips comprisepolypropylene fiber mat material.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein the strips are suspended ina plurality of radially extended angularly spaced arrays with theindividual suspended strips oriented with their width dimensionsoriented substantially in the planes of their respective arrays.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein the strips graduate inlength along the arrays.

5. The apparatus defined in clam 4, wherein each array of stripscomprises two radially extending rows of strips, with the strips in thearray rows leading in the direction of rotation not hanging as far downas the f flii gafitifi ri ln cihfifiiliher comprising a second similarlydefined rotor assembly similarly mounted in relation to said path at aposition succeeding the first-mentioned rotor assembly along said path,and means to turn the second rotor assembly unidirectionally'in adirection opposite the turning of the first rotor assembly and atapproximately the same rotational speed.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein at least certain of thestrips are closely followed in their rotation paths by companion stripswhich hang lower than do said certain strips respectively in the rotorassembly.

1. Automobile washing apparatus for use in a machine wash establishmentthrough which automobiles are moved along a defined path, said apparatuscomprising a rotor assembly, means to advance an automobileprogressively lengthwise along said path to, beneath and beyond saidrotor assembly, means mounting said rotor assembly to turn on a verticalaxis in an elevated position above and approximately centered laterallyin relation to said path, said rotor assembly comprising a plurality ofmop strips of limply flexible organic material relatively thin and widein cross-section freely suspended into the path of an automobile fromsaid rotor assembly from different locations thereon above theautomobile and varying in their radial distances from said axis, theradially outermost strips hanging lower than the radially innermoststrips, the rotation paths of the suspension locations of the rediallyinnermost strips lying laterally at all times within the space betweenand above the sides of the automobile and the rotating paths of thesuspension locations of at least the radially outermost strips ranginglaterally beyond the opposite sides of the automobile, said outermoststrips adapted to slide freely down and off the sides of the automobileand to be drawn back against the same so as to slide up and over theautomobile in the course of their rotation, and means operable to turnsaid rotor assembly unidirectionally about said axis as an automobile isbeing progressively advanced to, beneath and beyond the same along saidpath, the turning speed being maintained below speeds at whichcentrifugal force tends to swing the strips radially outward materiallyin their rotation.
 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein thestrips comprise polypropylene fiber mat material.
 3. The apparatusdefined in claim 2, wherein the strips are suspended in a plurality ofradially extended angularly spaced arrays with the individual suspendedstrips oriented with their width dimensions oriented substantially inthe planes of their respective arrays.
 4. The apparatus defined in claim3, wherein the strips graduate in length along the arrays.
 5. Theapparatus defined in clam 4, wherein each array of strips comprises tworadially extending rows of strips, with the strips in the array rowsleading in the direction of rotation not hanging as far down as therespective strips which follow behind them.
 6. The apparatus defined inclaim 1 further comprising a second similarly defined rotor assemblysimilarly mounted in relation to said path at a position succeeding thefirst-mentioned rotor assembly along said path, and means to turn thesecond rotor assembly unidirectionally in a direction opposite theturning of the first rotor assembly and at approximately the samerotational speed.
 7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein at leastcertain of the strips are closely followed in their rotation paths bycompanion strips which hang lower than do said certain stripsrespectively in the rotor assembly.